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Transcript
Advanced Generator Protection and Monitoring
Using Transducer Measurements
Terry Foxcroft
Snowy Hydro Limited
Normann Fischer, Dale Finney, Satish Samineni, and Yu Xia
Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
© 2017 IEEE. Personal use of this material is permitted. Permission from IEEE must be obtained
for all other uses, in any current or future media, including reprinting/republishing this material
for advertising or promotional purposes, creating new collective works, for resale or
redistribution to servers or lists, or reuse of any copyrighted component of this work in other
works.
This paper was presented at the 70th Annual Conference for Protective Relay Engineers.
For the complete history of this paper, refer to the next page.
Presented at the
71st Annual Georgia Tech Protective Relaying Conference
Atlanta, Georgia
May 3–5, 2017
Previously presented at the
70th Annual Conference for Protective Relay Engineers, April 2017
Originally presented at the
43rd Annual Western Protective Relay Conference, October 2016
1
Advanced Generator Protection and
Monitoring Using Transducer Measurements
Terry Foxcroft, Snowy Hydro Limited, Australia
Normann Fischer, Dale Finney, Satish Samineni, and Yu Xia, Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
Abstract—A number of generator issues are undetectable
using the generator terminal voltage or current measurements.
For example, a switching element failure in the exciter produces
a characteristic harmonic signature in the field current. While
some generator protective relays are capable of measuring the
field current, the sampling rate may be insufficient to extract the
relevant harmonics. Consider shaft current protection of
hydroelectric generators. The measurement source is a shaft
current transformer or Rogowski coil. The operating quantity is
a fundamental or root mean square component, but the signal
level will likely be too low for conventional current inputs to
measure.
This paper reviews a number of generator protection and
monitoring applications that use transducer measurements to
complement current protection. The paper describes the factors
that govern the signal characteristics. It defines the operating
principles of the protection functions and the resulting
transducer measurement requirements.
I. INTRODUCTION
This paper introduces new ideas and concepts that
complement existing generator protection elements to provide
better overall generator protection and monitoring. At
present, by the time generator short-circuit protection
operates, the generator has already sustained considerable
damage, and the protection operation prevents only
catastrophic generator failure from occurring. The protection
algorithm and elements that we describe in this paper use
transducer measurements to take the generator out of service
before the generator sustains considerable damage. In
addition, these measurements can alert the generator owner of
an abnormal generator condition, so the owner can take the
machine out of service in a controlled manner. This allows
the generator to be repaired in a cost-effective and timely
manner, thereby minimizing generator down time.
The IEEE Standards Dictionary [1] defines a transducer as
“A device that converts energy from one domain into another.
The device may be either a sensor or an actuator.” A sensor
converts a physical quantity such as pressure or temperature
into a signal that is suitable for processing by a monitoring,
control, or protection device. The physical quantity could also
be power system voltage or current. Therefore, voltage and
current transformers (VTs and CTs) are also transducers,
although often not considered as such.
Before discussing specific applications, we review some
concepts associated with signal acquisition and processing.
We show that the processing levels required to implement
protection functions using transducer I/O are often similar to
those required for conventional CT and VT quantities.
A. Isolation
A protective relay measures CT and VT secondary
quantities. The CTs and VTs scale the primary quantities to
values the relay can measure and also isolate the relay from
the power system.
The situation is no different with transducer
measurements. For example, generator field quantities will be
in the range of hundreds of amperes and volts—well beyond
the practical measurement range of a microprocessor-based
relay. Field quantities could be scaled using current shunts
and voltage divider networks. However, this would not
provide isolation for the large amount of energy contained in
the field circuit. A better solution is to derive these
measurements using transducers placed close to the field
circuit. When properly designed, these devices can provide
thousands of volts of galvanic isolation and deliver a highfidelity signal to the relay over a shielded, twisted-pair cable.
B. Scaling and Conversion Range
As is the case with CTs and VTs, it is important to select
transducers that are sized appropriately for the measured
quantity. The relay scaling function converts an input signal
to an accurately scaled value while maintaining the integrity
of the magnitude, phase, and offset. To provide this accuracy
and remove any negative impacts of the conversion
processes, some relays include optional gain, phase, and
offset settings.
We can define the conversion range as the range of values
that the input circuitry can resolve. The upper boundary of the
conversion range is where the A/D converter (ADC) saturates
and clipping begins to occur. Accuracy suffers when clipping
occurs, but the measurement may still be useable. To find the
lower boundary of the range, divide the range (determined by
the designer) by 2N, where N is the number of bits of the
ADC. Usually, properly selecting the external transducer
(similar to CT and VT selection) ensures an adequate
measurement is available. In some applications, a wide
conversion range may be important to ensure accurate
measurement of both large and small signal levels.
C. Sampling Rate
The process of sampling converts the signal from the
continuous to the discrete time domain. We can define a
band-limited signal as one that can be decomposed into a
finite number of frequency components. The Nyquist theorem
states that a signal must be sampled at a minimum of twice
2
D. Digital Filtering
For certain applications, it may be feasible to use the
instantaneous value of a measurement. Generally, however,
measurements are filtered first. Various parameters can be
used to describe the characteristics of a filter both in the
frequency and time domains. These include band-pass ripple,
roll-off, time constant, and overshoot, to name a few. It is
critical to apply the correct filter for the application. Some
filters pass a range of frequencies as Fig. 1 shows.
0
Gain (dB)
–5
–10
–15
–20
–25
0
Fig. 1.
20
40
60
80
Frequency (Hz)
100
120
140
Frequency response of low-, band-, and high-pass filters.
Other filters target a specific frequency and its harmonic
components. For example, the cosine filter has a unity gain at
the fundamental frequency and rejects dc as well as
harmonics. The filter doesn’t completely reject interharmonics and subharmonics as Fig. 2 shows.
1
Gain (dB)
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0
0
Fig. 2.
50
100
150
200
Frequency (Hz)
250
300
Frequency response of a full-cycle cosine filter.
An RMS filter has a unity gain at the fundamental
frequency, at dc, and at each harmonic. However, this filter
also measures interharmonics and subharmonics, but at these
frequencies, it under- and overestimates the current
magnitude as shown by the red current envelope in Fig. 3.
1.5
1.0
Gain (dB)
the highest frequency component of interest. Frequency
components beyond this limit are “folded back” after
sampling and appear as a lower frequency component in a
process known as aliasing. For example, assume that an input
containing a 1.1 kHz signal is sampled at 2 kHz. The 1.1 kHz
component appears as a 0.9 kHz component in the frequency
spectrum of the sampled waveform. For this reason, an
analog low-pass (anti-aliasing) filter with a cutoff (corner)
frequency of one-half the sampling frequency or lower must
be applied prior to sampling.
0.5
0
0
Fig. 3.
20
40
80
60
Frequency (Hz)
100
120
Frequency response of a full-cycle RMS filter.
Another quantity of interest is the dc component.
Traditionally, we derive this using a low-pass filter.
Depending on the chosen corner frequency, the low-pass
filter trades off a time-domain response for a high-frequency
rejection. Another way to extract dc is to take an average of
the samples over one period of the fundamental frequency.
We can refer to this as a full-cycle dc filter. This calculation
will ramp to the dc value in one cycle. It also rejects the
fundamental and harmonic components.
In some applications, the frequency component of interest
will be constant. For example, the natural frequencies of the
generator shaft are dependent on the physical properties of
the generator. In other applications, the frequency component
of interest may not be constant. For example, the frequency
components in the field current or shaft current vary with the
generator frequency.
We calculate full-cycle filters, such as the cosine, RMS,
and full-cycle dc filters, over a fixed number of samples or a
window. When the window length matches the period of the
signal, the gains will be as described previously. If the
frequency of the signal changes and we don’t adjust the
window length accordingly, the filter becomes less accurate.
For example, the cosine filter of Fig. 2 has a window size
equal to one power system cycle (1/60 Hz). If the signal
frequency is slightly higher, the filter will overestimate the
magnitude. In addition, the filter will not fully reject any
harmonics at that frequency. One way to address this issue is
to adjust the sampling rate as the frequency changes, such
that the filter window and the signal period are always the
same. This process is known as frequency tracking. Adjusting
the sampling rate also impacts a band-pass filter. Depending
on the application, this may not be desirable.
3
II. FIELD CURRENT AND VOLTAGE MONITORING
FIELD MEASUREMENTS
We can implement a number of generator monitoring and
protection functions using field measurements. As mentioned
in Section I, transducers are required to provide suitable
scaling. Shunts and voltage divider networks could be used
but will not provide suitable isolation. Hall-effect transducers
can provide scaling and isolation and have a wide frequency
response down to the dc level.
A. Field Overload
As with any electric circuit, an overload can quickly cause
serious damage to the field winding. The field winding,
therefore, requires protection. IEEE C37.102 [2] specifies the
thermal capability of the rotor as shown in Fig. 4. An inverse
time curve can be implemented in a protective relay to
coordinate with the thermal curve of the generator field. The
input transducer must be scaled for the highest expected
current magnitude. An RMS filter will provide the most
accurate heating measurement. The IEEE standard recognizes
that the thermal capability limits may be exceeded but that
the number of such occurrences should not be more than
twice a year.
210
100 • sqrt(1+33.75/t)
190
180
 VF _ DC − VBRUSH  1
TFIELD= TAMB + 
− 1 ⋅
 I F _ DC ⋅ R AMB
 α


(1)
where:
α = resistive temperature coefficient of the field
winding
The field winding temperature should not be calculated
unless both VF_DC and IF_DC are within their operating range.
In order to achieve a stable temperature indication, both the
field voltage and current must be adequately filtered to
remove harmonic components.
C. Exciter Problems
The previous two functions focused on the field winding.
We can also use field measurements to identify problems in
the exciter. For example, under normal operation, the dc
output current of a six-pulse controlled rectifier will contain
the 6th, 12th, 18th harmonics, etc. However, if a thyristor is
either open or short circuited, the exciter output current will
also include the fundamental plus additional harmonics.
Fig. 5 shows the main components of the exciter current
following a thyristor open-circuit event occurring at time
equal to one second. Note the significant increase in the
fundamental and second harmonic.
1.5
170
Current (pu)
Field Current (% of Rated Current)
200
that don’t carry current. The difference between the two
measurements is the brush voltage. By measuring the ambient
resistance (RAMB) at ambient temperature (TAMB), we can
calculate the field temperature (TFIELD) as follows [4]:
160
150
140
0.5
0
–0.5
0.8
120
0
20
40
60
Time (s)
80
100
120
Fig. 4. Cylindrical rotor thermal capability [3].
B. Field Overtemperature
Even without an overload, a cooling failure can push the
field winding temperature beyond its design rating. Direct
measurement of the field temperature is not practical;
however, we can indirectly measure the field temperature
through real-time measurement of the field winding
resistance. The winding resistance is in turn derived from the
dc components of field voltage (VF_DC) and field current
(IF_DC). The voltage drop across the field brushes will be in
the range of 2 to 4 volts and can therefore impact the
accuracy of the measurement. We can reconcile this voltage
drop using a calibration setting (VBRUSH). Application of this
method requires an accurate measurement of brush voltage.
This can be achieved during commissioning by making a
second measurement of field voltage using a set of brushes
Current (pu)
130
110
Unfiltered
DC Component
1
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
0.8
Fig. 5.
0.85
0.9
0.95
1
1.05
1.1
1.15
1.2
Fundamental
Second Harmonic
0.85
0.9
0.95
1
1.05
Time (s)
1.1
1.15
1.2
Six-pulse converter with an open thyristor.
However, transient currents in the stator winding will also
induce transient currents into the field winding. Specifically,
a dc current in the stator winding will produce a fundamental
current (IF_FUND) in the field (assuming the generator is at
rated speed). Fig. 6 shows the harmonic current content of the
field current following a phase-to-ground fault at the
generator step-up unit (GSU) transformer high-voltage
terminal. Note that both the fundamental and second
harmonic are present on initiation of the fault but the
fundamental dies out. The dc offset in the stator current is a
function of the system X/R ratio and can be significant at the
generator.
4
Current (pu)
6
Unfiltered
DC Component
5
4
3
2
1
0
0.8
0.85
0.9
0.95
1
1.05
1.1
1.15
1.2
1
1.05
Time (s)
1.1
1.15
1.2
Current (pu)
2.5
Fundamental
Second Harmonic
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
0.8
0.85
0.9
0.95
Fig. 6. Field current during a phase-to-ground fault at the GSU highvoltage terminals.
One solution to secure the element for an external fault
would be to delay operation for a period longer than the
expected duration of the fundamental transient. Fortunately,
since this element is implemented in the generator relay, there
are protection elements that will also respond to this event—
notably the backup distance element. Therefore, we can make
use of this element for built-in, additional dependability. We
need to operate even for a sustained pickup of the backup
distance element, since it is possible that an exciter problem
could be coincident with an external fault. Fig. 7 shows the
resulting logic.
IF_FUND
+
PKP
−
SSSL and also be inside the UEL. Ideally, the SSSL should
sit inside the inner zone. However, because the SSSL location
depends on the system strength, this may not be possible.
Since the LOF function is constructed from a phase-to-phase
or positive-sequence mho element, there is a possibility that
the LOF function could operate during power swings or outof-step conditions if the apparent impedance enters the
characteristic. As a consequence, both zones incorporate time
delays to allow ride-through for stable power swings. It is
typical to set the outer zone with a delay of 30 to 45 cycles
and the inner zone to 15 cycles [6]. If the time delay is set too
long, it is possible that a true LOF event could cause a loss of
synchronism. This may result in the apparent impedance
exiting the LOF mho characteristic during the slip before the
LOF scheme times out. In this case, a failure to detect an
LOF condition can occur [6].
X (ohms)
GCC
LOF Z2
R (ohms)
LOF Z1
TLONG
0
EXCFAIL
SSSL
TSHORT
21P_PKP
Fig. 7.
0
Exciter failure detection logic.
D. Loss-of-Field Supervision
Protection against a loss-of-field (LOF) event has long
been available for generators. An LOF event can produce a
large in-flow of reactive power (VARs), thereby jeopardizing
the voltage stability of the entire power system. It can also
create stator end-core heating in a cylindrical rotor, which can
quickly result in serious damage to the machine itself.
Protection has generally been provided in the form of one or
two offset mho elements. In this case, the inner zone is
intended to operate for an LOF event when the machine is
operating at close to rated load. The outer zone operates for
LOF events closer to no load [5]. Fig. 8 shows an example
application. Also shown are the generator capability curve
(GCC), steady state stability limit (SSSL), and
underexcitation limiter (UEL). Operation of the machine is
restricted to the region outside the GCC. A secondary
responsibility of the UEL is to prevent a false trip of the LOF
protection. There are several criteria for setting the LOF
protection function. Both zones should encompass the direct
axis reactance (XD), the transient reactance (X’D), and the
UEL
Fig. 8. Example LOF plot showing coordination with UEL, GCC, and
SSSL [6].
Rather than using the traditional impedance-based scheme,
it is possible to declare an LOF condition for low excitation
voltage. However, this could fail to declare an LOF
condition. For example, an open circuit between the exciter
and rotor would result in an LOF event, but the field voltage
that is measured at the exciter may otherwise be normal. Field
voltage could, however, improve the effectiveness of the
impedance-based scheme. Fig. 9 shows a simulation of a
slow-clearing fault followed by a power swing. The
automatic voltage regulator (AVR) is operational for this
event. In this figure, the fault occurs at 0.3 seconds and is
cleared at 0.5 seconds. The power swing develops on fault
clearance as is evident by looking closely at the currents (Ia,
Ib, Ic). Note that during a swing, the field current drops
substantially, but the field voltage remains relatively high.
Current (pu)
Voltage (pu)
5
2
Va
Vb
Vc
0
provides positive declaration of the loss of all three
potentials.
IF_DC
–2
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
10
Ia
Ib
Ic
0
Voltage (pu)
Current (pu)
10
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
Field Voltage
2
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
Field Current
5
0
Fig. 9.
+
Σ
LD
T
+
−
LOP
−
0
V1_MAG
PKP
–10
4
×
2π • Freq
0.2
0.4
0.6
Time (s)
0.8
1
Field voltage and current during a power swing.
We can conclude that if the impedance locus enters the
LOF characteristic and the field voltage is high, then the
event is more likely to be a power swing. If the field voltage
is low, the event is more likely to be a true LOF event. This
leads to the logic of Fig. 10.
TLONG
40_PKP
40_OP
0
Fig. 11. LOP voltage balance logic using field current.
We can declare the loss of one or two potentials using the
ratio of V2_MAG over V1_MAG. The scheme is intended for
offline operation only. For online operations, apply the
conventional voltage/current logic.
Since digital relays can track frequency over a wide range,
the function will be effective for machines that operate at offnominal frequencies during startup or shutdown. Due to the
wide frequency range of this function, the logic uses the
steady-state direct axis inductance (LD).
III. DC GROUND-FAULT PROTECTION
Combustion gas turbines (CGT) differ from other types of
generation in that the unit must be brought up to some
percentage of rated speed before the turbine can begin to
deliver power. Traditional CGT installations accelerated by
mechanically coupling a starting (pony) motor or gas engine
to the shaft of the machine. Fig. 12 shows an example of a
simple open-cycle, single-shaft unit [7].
Fuel
Air
TSHORT
PKP
+
VF_DC
−
Exhaust
0
Gear
Fig. 10. LOF acceleration logic.
E. Generator Loss of Potential
Digital relays commonly employ terminal current and
voltage measurements to detect a loss-of-potential (LOP)
event. The premise of the scheme is as follows: a voltage
change with a coincident change in current is a fault, but a
voltage change without a coincident current change is an LOP
condition. Complexities arise when the machine is offline,
since there is no current flow at that time. LOP schemes
usually discriminate between an offline LOP and a normal
shutdown by looking at the rate of decay of positive-sequence
voltage. Not all machines have the same behavior during
shutdown. This may lead to spurious LOP assertion.
In the days of electromechanical (EM) generator
protection, an LOP scheme was often implemented using a
voltage balance relay. The relay compared two three-phase
voltages, each from a different VT. This method has not been
commonly employed in digital relays since it requires an
increase in the number of voltage inputs.
During offline operation, the terminal voltage magnitude
is equal to IF_DC·XD (product of the field current and direct
axis reactance). We can therefore implement the equivalent of
a voltage balance function as shown in Fig. 11. This logic
Motor
Exciter
Generator
Compressor Turbine
Gear
Clutch
Fig. 12. CGT with a starting motor.
An alternative method, which has become increasingly
more common, is known as static starting. This method uses
the generator itself, operating as a motor, to bring the turbine
up to speed [7]. Static starting typically uses a load
commutated inverter (LCI) in order to precisely control the
speed. Fig. 13 shows a simplified one-line diagram of this
method.
AVR
LCI
41
89
DS
UAT
89
SS
∠
∠
Fig. 13. CGT with static starting.
6
Fig. 14 shows a typical starting sequence. We can see that
the machine operates at a low frequency (from 0 to 18 Hz) for
a period of 10 to 15 minutes during purge and ignition and
the associated acceleration and coast time periods. The
machine slowly accelerates from approximately 10 Hz to its
full speed over a period of about 15 minutes [7].
1.0
0.9
0.8
Speed (pu)
0.7
0.6
0.5
Acceleration
to Full Speed
0.4
Purge
0.3
Coast
0.2
0.1
Acceleration
to Purging
Speed
5
10
Ignition
15
20
25
30
Time (min)
Fig. 14. Typical CGT starting sequence [7].
During startup, the starting switch, denoted as 89-SS in
Fig. 13, is closed. If a ground fault develops on the dc link in
the drive, the dc current flows through the grounding
transformer and through a grounded-wye generator VT
winding. This quickly drives the transformers into saturation.
Overheating results from I2R heating in the primary
conductor and large eddy currents in each core.
One method to avoid dc ground-fault damage is to
disconnect the generator neutral from ground during startup
(via the 89-DS) and to use open-delta VTs at the generator
terminals. An alternative approach is to employ dc groundfault protection [8].
For a six-pulse converter, the dc link voltage is 6/π times
the phase-to-phase voltage input to the LCI. The link voltage
can be as high as 6,000 volts, depending on the particular
generator. When a ground fault develops within the LCI, onehalf of the dc link voltage appears at the LCI terminals. In the
case of primary resistance grounding, the dc current at the
generator neutral is limited by the neutral grounding resistor.
If the generator is grounded through a neutral grounding
transformer (NGT), then the current is limited only by the
resistance of the NGT primary winding. Often, the generator
VTs have series resistors that limit the fault current, so NGT
damage is the limiting factor.
An RMS measurement, Fig. 15, includes both dc and any
harmonic content in the current. Therefore, an RMS current
measurement is the best indication of a thermal overload
condition. A split-core, hall-effect CT provides an effective
and unintrusive means to derive this signal.
INRMS
+
PKP
−
T
OP
0
Fig. 15. DC ground-fault protection logic.
IV. SHAFT CURRENT
A. Cause of Shaft Voltage
The major cause of shaft voltage is due to stator core
segmentation. The stator core of a large hydro machine is
typically segmented to enable transportation of the stator
core. This segmentation results in minor differences in flux
around the stator. If the rotor poles align with the stator
segment joints after a rotation of each pole pitch, the
difference in flux will have an additive effect and generate a
large shaft voltage and a large amount of energy. If the
generator construction is such that rotor poles and the stator
segments align after a rotation of one pole pitch, a much
lower voltage and smaller amount of energy are generated in
the shaft.
Tests performed at one power station (a hydro station in
Australia), where brushes were added to the nondrive end of
the generator and connected to ground, resulted in the shaft
voltage dropping from 22 to 10 V while the shaft current was
390 A. 1 A at 1 V can cause pitting on the bearing face. This
particular hydro station can generate a shaft voltage of up to
40 V. At another hydro station, the construction of the stator
and rotor are such that the shaft voltage is on the order of
0.5 V, resulting in a lower shaft voltage and a smaller amount
of energy.
B. Effects of Shaft Current on Bearings
Fig. 16 shows damage to a vertical hydro unit thrust
bearing caused by shaft current. The shaft current caused
metal to be removed from the white metal bearing face and to
be dragged around the bearing face.
Fig. 16. Thrust bearing damage due to shaft currents (see striations in the
bearing).
A closer inspection of the white metal bearing face,
Fig. 17, shows pitting caused by arcing and the resulting
abrasion of the bearing face. The associated guide bearing
was also damaged.
7
C. Detection of Shaft Current
Monitoring the shaft voltage to determine shaft current is
not effective. A low shaft voltage does not necessarily mean a
low or nonexistent shaft current; significant shaft current can
flow even if the shaft voltage is within an acceptable range.
Monitoring shaft current is the best method to determine
whether or not there is shaft current in the generator.
Generator shaft current is typically composed of currents at
different frequencies. The magnitudes and frequencies of
these currents depend on the primary conditions of the power
system and the generator’s construction. When shaft current
is present, it contains a dc component, a rotational speed
component, a fundamental component, and harmonic
components—particularly the third and ninth harmonics. On
generators with a very small shaft voltage, the third harmonic
current component present in the shaft current will also be
low. Two common methods for measuring shaft current are a
CT and a Rogowski coil.
1) Shaft CT
A Shaft CT is a toroidal CT with a large internal diameter
that is mounted around the generator shaft. Unlike a normal
CT installed on a power system, the measured current is
between 1 and 10 A. The output current is between 1 and
3 mA. A typical installation uses a split-core CT in order to
mount it around the generator shaft. Some manufacturers
provide interleaved laminations at the split core joints so as to
reduce iron losses. It is common to provide a test winding of
two or three turns on the shaft CT to allow injection in the
ampere range for testing purposes. This method also allows
testing of the complete transformer circuitry.
Fig. 18 shows a shaft CT installed below a lower guide
bearing on a vertical hydro generator shaft.
Fig. 18. Shaft CT mounted to a hydro generator; note that the mounting
bracket does not fully enclose the CT.
As with any CT, the mounting brackets must not fully
encircle the shaft CT, as this would create a shorted turn and
corrupt the output of the CT. Due to variations of the flux
within the area surrounding the shaft CT, the CT could
produce a current even if no shaft current is flowing. Despite
the CT producing an output with no shaft current present, this
is a simple method for measuring and detecting shaft
currents. Due to the low current output of the CT, any device
monitoring this current must be capable of processing a
milliampere input signal. The monitoring device should have
the option to operate on either the fundamental current
component or the third harmonic current component. We can
use the third harmonic current component to provide a more
sensitive detection for generators that produce a larger shaft
voltage and current.
Fig. 19 shows the frequency spectrum for a shaft current
of 2 A primary. This particular generator is capable of
generating a shaft voltage of 20 V.
100
75
Percentage
Fig. 17. Enlargement showing damage to white metal thrust bearing.
50
25
0
50.0
250.0
450.0
650.0
Frequency (Hz)
850.0
1050.0
Fig. 19. Frequency spectrum of the shaft current due to a 2 A primary fault
current.
However, for this particular generator, due to stator flux
variation along the stator core, the shaft CT can produce an
output current when no actual shaft current is flowing. Fig. 20
shows a frequency spectrum of the current output from the
shaft CT.
8
100
Percentage
75
50
25
0
3.11
15.53
27.95
52.80
40.37
Frequency (Hz)
65.22
Fig. 20. Frequency spectrum of the output current of the shaft CT when no
shaft current is present and the output current is due to uneven stator flux
distribution.
Without an actual shaft current present, the frequency
spectrum of the shaft CT output current contains a higher
rotational component and a lower third-harmonic current
component. In summary, if the machine generates a large
shaft voltage and if the third-harmonic content exceeds the
threshold, we can trip. If there is a low shaft voltage and we
monitor the shaft current using the fundamental current, we
can only alarm.
2) Rogowski Coil
An alternative method of measuring the shaft current uses
a Rogowski coil. The advantage of using a Rogowski coil is
that it is flexible and easier to mount than a shaft CT. The
Rogowski coil is installed around the shaft, and for duplicate
protection, it can be mounted below a shaft CT if fitted as
shown in Fig. 21. As with the shaft CT, the Rogowski coil
cannot be installed with a metal mounting bracket that
encloses the coil, as this would create a shorted turn around
the Rogowski coil.
The integrator range of the Rogowski coil needs to match
the intended primary current. In normal Rogowski coil
installations, the input range to the integrator may have
ranges of tens of thousands of amperes; however, shaft
current installations require a very low input current value.
For shaft current applications, these integrators typically
provide an output voltage of 0.5 V for 1 A of primary shaft
current. Injecting a lower primary current into the integrator
is generally not possible, as the integrator gain required at
lower currents encroaches on the noise levels of the integrator
circuitry. Depending on the integrator, the output can be
either a time-varying instantaneous voltage value or a dc
RMS voltage value; milliampere outputs are also available. If
the output of the integrator is connected to a protective
device, it is better that the output be time based rather than
the RMS equivalent. This will allow the device to provide
protection or detection using the fundamental or third
harmonic component. A test winding, as shown in Fig. 22,
can also be provided by installing a single turn around the
Rogowski coil and connecting it to a set of terminals. Under
normal operating conditions, these terminals are left in an
open-circuit state.
Fig. 22. A Rogowski coil with a test winding.
Fig. 23 shows the frequency spectrum of the output
voltage for a 2 A primary shaft CT. This particular generator
is capable of developing a shaft voltage of 20 V. However, on
this particular generator, the Rogowski coil can develop an
output voltage with no actual shaft current flowing, despite
the fact that there is a single wire return within the Rogowski
coil.
100
Percentage
75
50
25
0
53.5
267.5
481.4
695.4
Frequency (Hz)
909.3
1123.3
Fig. 23. Frequency spectrum of the shaft current due to a 2 A primary fault
current.
Fig. 21. Mounting of a Rogowski coil for use as a shaft current monitor.
9
The system is configured to detect 1 A in the shaft while
there is up to 12,000 A of stator current adjacent to the
Rogowski coil. There is a large amount of stray flux near the
Rogowski coil, and it is nearly impossible to reject all of it.
Fig. 24 shows the frequency spectrum output of a Rogowski
coil when no actual shaft current is flowing. Fig. 25 is the
frequency spectrum of the shaft voltage when no shaft current
is flowing.
100
Percentage
75
50
25
0
7.42
37.09
66.77
96.45
Frequency (Hz)
126.13
155.81
Fig. 24. The frequency spectrum output from a Rogowski coil when no
actual shaft current is flowing.
The insulation includes the piping for the jacking oil
pumps, the instrumentation cable sheathing, and the mounting
bolts. The shaft current monitor can be installed anywhere
below the insulated bearing(s).
V. STATOR FIELD DIFFERENTIAL
We begin this discussion with a brief overview of
traditional schemes for protection of the stator winding. The
information contained in this section has previously been
discussed in [9] and [10] and is reproduced here for the
reader’s convenience. Differential protection is one of the
main protection elements responsible for detecting internal
generator faults. Generator differential protection schemes are
designed to detect faults by comparison of current flowing
into and out of the stator. A variety of schemes are possible
[9].
A. Self-Balancing Differential
In this scheme, shown in Fig. 27, the overcurrent elements
are connected to core-balance CTs on a per phase basis. This
allows for detecting both phase and ground faults.
100
Percentage
75
50
50
A
B
25
C
50
0
50.0
250.0
450.0
650.0
Frequency (Hz)
850.0
Fig. 25. The voltage frequency spectrum when no actual shaft current is
flowing.
Shaft current typically flows between the bearings of the
hydro generator. To prevent shaft current from flowing
through the bearings, the turbine end of the shaft is grounded
and the bearings on the rotor end are insulated as Fig. 26
shows.
Oil Film
Bearing Housing
Bearing
Insulation
Rotor
Stator
N
Fig. 27. Self-balancing differential protection scheme.
This scheme allows for low-ratio CTs to be applied,
making it very sensitive and secure for external faults.
However, saturation for internal faults is possible if the CT
burden is too high. One drawback of this scheme is that both
ends of the winding must pass through the windows of the
core-balance CT, making this scheme difficult to apply on
large machines. In addition, these CTs are susceptible to stray
flux from nearby current-carrying conductors. This places
some sensitivity limitations on this scheme. Defining IpkpSB
as the minimum pickup setting of the overcurrent element and
CTRCB as the CT ratio of the core-balance CT, the sensitivity
of this scheme can be calculated by (2).
I min SB = CTR CB • IpkpSB
Shaft CT
Guide Bearing
Turbine
50
Spiral
Case
Fig. 26. Simple sketch of a hydro generator indicating the location of the
insulated bearing and the shaft ground.
(2)
B. Biased Differential
This scheme, as shown in Fig. 28, makes use of CTs on
both sides of the winding on a per phase basis. The CTs are
sized to carry the total generator current. On low-impedancegrounded machines, this scheme can detect phase-to-phase,
phase-to-ground, and three-phase faults, but on highimpedance-grounded machines, it is not effective for phaseto-ground faults. For security, a biasing method is used that
requires the differential current (OP) to be greater than a
10
percentage of the restraint current (KPH • RST). This results in
the well-known slope characteristic when the differential
current is plotted against the restraint current. The restraint
current is typically the scalar sum of the currents on each side
of the zone (RST). This scheme employs a variety of
characteristics, including variable slope, dual slope, and
adaptive slope.
Defining KPH as the slope setting of the differential
element and CTRPH as the CT ratio of the primary CT and
assuming that the machine carries rated load, the sensitivity
of this scheme is approximated by (3).
(3)
I min PH ≅ CTR PH ⋅ K PH ⋅ IG RATED
OP
RST
RST
A
B
C
OP
RST
RST
OP
N
RST
RST
Fig. 28. Biased differential protection scheme.
C. High-Impedance Differential
As can be seen from Fig. 29, this scheme is similar to the
biased differential scheme in that it makes use of CTs on both
sides of the winding on a per phase basis. The CTs are
connected in parallel via an overcurrent element in series with
the large resistor. This connection creates a high-impedance
path between the CT terminals, hence its name.
50
MOV
A
B
50
N
50
MOV
C
MOV
Fig. 29. High-impedance differential protection scheme.
This scheme is extremely secure for external faults in the
presence of CT saturation. This scheme is generally more
sensitive than the biased differential element, because the
high impedance in series with the operating coil allows the
scheme to be set according to the voltage drop across the
resistor. Some schemes have a pickup current as low as
20 mA. The main disadvantages of this scheme are that it
requires dedicated CTs and the CTs on either side of the
winding must have matching characteristics. For this reason,
multifunction relays that perform generator protection
generally incorporate biased differential protection elements.
Another disadvantage is the fact that a shorted CT disables
the scheme. A variation of this scheme uses a single
overcurrent element for restricted earth fault detection on
low-impedance-grounded machines.
Defining IpkpHZ as the operating current of the overcurrent
element and neglecting CT excitation current and MOV
current, the sensitivity of this scheme is approximated by (4).
I min PH ≅ CTR PH • Ipkp HZ
(4)
D. Stator-Rotor Differential Elements
The three differential schemes mentioned previously in
this section are optimized to detect shunt faults in a generator;
however, none of these schemes are optimized to detect series
faults such as a turn-to-turn fault in either the rotor or stator
windings of the generator. The reason for this is that the
previous schemes measure the net current flow in a winding.
A turn-to-turn fault is a series fault (part of the winding is
shorted), which results in the current flowing into the winding
being equal to the current flowing out of the winding so that
the net differential phase current is zero. Since the previous
schemes measure the net current flow in a winding, these will
not detect a turn-to-turn fault. So how do you detect a turn-toturn fault using a differential element?
Let us step back a moment and look at a transformer. We
know that a turn-to-turn fault in a transformer is going to
upset the ampere turns (AT) balance of that transformer and
result in negative-sequence current flowing into the
transformer. Negative-sequence current always flows toward
the fault point. Therefore, by measuring the net negativesequence flow into a transformer, we can detect a turn-to-turn
flow in a transformer [11].
Let’s consider a generator as a three-winding rotating
transformer, with the stator winding (for simplicity) being
one winding, the rotor (field) winding being the second
winding, and the damper winding being the third winding,
and apply the same reasoning as we did for a transformer. We
can now provide turn-to-turn fault protection for a generator
by applying the AT balance to the equivalent three-winding
transformer as shown in Fig. 30a [10].
The negative-sequence current in the stator winding
develops a magnetic field that rotates in the opposite direction
of the rotor. As a result, the negative-sequence current in the
stator winding is going to induce a double-frequency current
in the field and damper windings of the rotor. It is possible to
extract the negative-sequence current from the field winding
but not from the damper winding (it is not possible to
measure the current in the damper winding). However, we
can overcome this hurdle by converting the impedances of the
field and damper windings to the same voltage base and
connecting the two impedances in parallel to one another.
This forms one equivalent winding, as shown in Fig. 30b
[10]. Forming one equivalent winding allows us to reduce the
three-winding transformer to a two-winding transformer.
Typically, the exciter does not generate any double-frequency
voltage, so we can view the field winding as being shorted
with a total impedance of ZFT. The damper winding having a
leakage impedance of ZD, as shown in Fig. 30b, implies that
11
we can apply the AT balance principle to detect a turn-to-turn
fault.
Damper
Winding
I2
IF
negative-sequence current magnitude. It measures the field
current (using a shunt or Hall Effect sensor) and from this
extracts the double-frequency current component. A simple
implementation of how the element currents are derived is
shown in Fig. 31.
Stator
Field
Winding
(a)
Stator
(60 Hz Phasors
and Impedances)
Rotor
Shunt
Rotor
(120 Hz Phasors
and Impedances)
I2
IF
IR
ZD
ZFT
Fig. 30. An equivalent three-winding transformer relating the negativesequence stator current and the double-frequency components of the field
and damper currents (a) and a two-winding equivalent representation with
the field and damper windings brought to the same voltage base (b).
We know that we can only measure the negative-sequence
current in the stator (I2) and the double-frequency current in
the field winding (IF) (we cannot measure the doublefrequency current in the damper winding). Knowing this, we
can calculate the total double-frequency current in the rotor as
follows:
(5)
Assuming that the turn’s ratio of the two-winding
equivalent transformer is N0, the AT balance for any external
unbalance with the generator in a healthy state can now be
written as:
 Z 
I 2 = N 0 ⋅ I R = N 0 ⋅ I F ⋅ 1 + FT 
ZD 

Q
(6)
The 60SF element uses the effective transformation ratio
(NSF) to match magnitudes and verify if the two current
magnitudes balance. A simple implementation of the 60SF
element design is done using a percentage differential, where
the operating signal is obtained by (8) and the restraining
signal is obtained by (9).
I 2(60 Hz) − NSF • I F(120 Hz)
(8)
=
I RST I 2(60 Hz) + NSF • I F(120 Hz)
(9)
=
IOP
Comparing the operating and the restraining signals using
a slope setting of 20 percent for a percentage differential
scheme results in an operating characteristic shown by the
green lines in Fig. 32. The results shown in Fig. 32 were
obtained by testing a 200 MVA machine model in a Real
Time Digital Simulator® (RTDS) at various loading
conditions (50 MW and 200 MW) and with turn-to-turn faults
involving a different percentage of the winding.
1.6
Therefore, for any external unbalance, the ratio of the
negative-sequence stator current (I2) and the doublefrequency rotor current (IF) for a healthy machine is a
constant and can be written as:
(7)
where NSF is the effective turns ratio between the stator
winding and the field winding. A turn-to-turn fault will upset
the AT balance condition described by (6) and (7) allowing
detection of the turn-to-turn fault.
1) Stator-Rotor Current Unbalance (60SF) Element
Based on the principle derived above, we propose a new
protection element, the stator-rotor current unbalance element
(60SF). This element is not only capable of detecting turn-toturn faults in the generator, but it can also be used to detect
phase-to-ground faults in the stator winding. The element
measures the stator current and from this derives the
1.4
1.2
IF (120 Hz) (kA)
I2
Z
NSF = = N 0 ⋅ 1 + FT
IF
ZD
ABC
60SF
Fig. 31. The 60SF turn-to-turn fault protection element for synchronous
generators.
1:N0
 Z 
I R = I F ⋅ 1 + FT 
ZD 

Magnitude
Matching
Second
Harmonic
(b)
Stator
Turn-to-Turn
Faults
1
15%
l
na
ter
Ex aults
F
10%
8%
7%
200 MW
6%
0.8
20%
5%
0.6
0.4
50 MW
Rotor
Turn-to-Turn
Faults
0.2
0
0
2
4
6
8
10
I2 (60 Hz) (kA)
12
14
16
18
Fig. 32. Negative-sequence stator current magnitude vs. double-frequency
field current magnitude for both external faults (red dots) and internal turnto-turn faults (blue dots) in a 200 MW generator.
12
A second type of stator-rotor differential element that
makes use not only of the current magnitudes but also their
phases (87SF) is described in [10]. The 87SF offers greater
sensitivity when compared to the 60SF, but both elements
have the ability to detect turn-to-turn faults in a generator.
VI. GENERATOR CONTROL MONITORING
Time-stamping of generating station data can be very
useful for monitoring and validating various generator control
system performances. The generating station data can be
terminal voltages, terminal currents, speed, rotor angle, active
power, field voltage, field current, temperature, hydrogen
pressure, etc. [12]. Synchrophasors provide a mechanism to
time stamp the generator data and make them readily
available for online and offline control system monitoring
applications like generator model validation, automatic
voltage regulator (AVR) or excitation control system
performance, power system stabilizer (PSS) tuning and
performance, and governor control tuning and performance.
Phasor measurement units (PMU) or protective relays with
PMU functionality create synchrophasor data. A
synchrophasor data packet consists of voltage and current
phasors and analog and digital data. PMUs calculate
synchronized phasors from conventional data such as
terminal voltages and currents and reference them to absolute
time (UTC). Nonconventional data, such as field voltage,
active power, rotor angle, and speed, can be time-stamped
and included in the analog data section of the synchrophasor
data packet. The IEEE C37.118 standard requires that the
phasors included in the synchrophasor data packet be
corrected for filtering and processing delays. But the standard
does not provide any guidelines for delay correction of analog
data included in the synchrophasor data packet. If you are
using nonconventional analog data in a synchrophasor packet,
then ensure you minimize the acquisition delay.
Apart from controlling the generator output voltage, a
generator excitation system plays a key role in stabilizing the
generator and the connected power system during transient
disturbances. The main components of a generator excitation
system are the AVR and PSS as shown in Fig. 33 [13].
Main Generator
Exciter
Excitation
Transformer SCR Bridge
Field
Stator
Slip
Ring
∆ωR
Terminal
Voltage VT
and limits. The primary objective of the PSS is to damp out
power system oscillations. The PSS measures change in the
synchronous speed of the generator and injects it to the AVR.
The PSS damps out the negative effects of a fast-acting AVR.
System operators rely on the accurate representation of the
generator excitation system for transient and small signal
stability studies. In North America, NERC requires a
generator owner to validate the generator excitation model
periodically [14]. After a transient event, system operators
can readily use synchrophasor data obtained during the
transient to validate their excitation model. Generator owners
can also use synchrophasor data for excitation system testing
and model validation when the unit is offline [15].
Synchrophasor data can also be used to efficiently
commission a PSS while the unit is online [16].
Monitoring the performance of a generator control system
is critical. Synchrophasor data measured at the generating
station can be used to monitor the health and performance of
the exciter, AVR, PSS, and governor. A malfunctioning
generator AVR caused undesirable oscillations in the New
York Independent System Operator (NYISO) region in May
2013 [17]. Similarly, a malfunctioning generator PSS also
caused oscillations in May 2013. These two events were
detected at the transmission level by system operators using
synchrophasor data. These could have been detected at the
generating station itself.
VII. SUBSYNCHRONOUS RESONANCE MONITORING
Series capacitors provide an economic way to increase the
power transfer capabilities of existing power system
transmission lines. If a fault occurs on a series-compensated
power system, off-nominal frequencies are generated. If one
of these frequencies coincides with one of the resonant
frequencies of the turbine, a subsynchronous resonance (SSR)
condition occurs. SSR refers to the phenomenon in which the
electrical power system exchanges energy with the
mechanical system of the turbine generators at one or more
frequencies below the synchronous frequency of the power
system [18]. While there are other forms of SSR interaction,
this paper only discusses the aforementioned phenomenon.
For steady-state studies, the turbine generator is usually
considered as a single mass rotating at a synchronous speed.
However, when doing SSR studies, the generator and turbine
need to be modeled as separate rotating masses (finite inertia
segments) e.g., high-pressure turbine, low-pressure turbine,
generator, exciter, etc. A spring constant and a damping
coefficient represent the average shaft material behavior
between the masses, as shown in Fig. 34.
PSS
ω1 Θ2
ω2 Θ2
ωG Θ G
H1
H2
HG
AVR
Set Point ET
Fig. 33. Generator excitation system.
The primary objective of the AVR is to regulate the
generator voltage to the specified set point. The generator
protective functions such as underexcitation, overexcitation,
and volts per hertz are also included in the AVR as set points
D1
D2
DG
Fig. 34. Spring-mass S model for a multimass shaft system.
13
The motion of the different masses is described by a set of
equations according to Hooke’s law of material deformation
and Newton’s law of mechanics [18]. These equations are a
set of first order differential equations. They exhibit several
natural frequencies or modes of torsional vibration, and the
shaft system responds to the applied torque with oscillations
in each mode.
If one of the modes is excited by an electrical oscillation
and the eigenvalue associated with this mode has a positive
real part, then the generated electrical torque will oscillate
with the mechanical system and amplify itself. Relative
movements between the masses, as indicated by the shape of
the right eigenvector, generate a large amount of torque,
causing a loss-of-life of the shaft, if the shaft is not damaged
outright. The generator should not be allowed to go through
undamped subsynchronous oscillations because these can
cause significant economic loss.
B. Analysis of the SSR Phenomenon Using IEEE Second
Benchmark Model
To analyze the phenomenon behavior and develop
countermeasures, an IEEE working group on SSR developed
the first benchmark model in 1977. This provides the simplest
possible model: a turbine generator connected to a single
radial series-compensated line. However, this configuration is
rarely encountered in real power system operations. In 1985,
the second benchmark model for SSR study was published
and was more realistic [19]. In this study, the IEEE second
benchmark model on SSR is built in the RTDS. The one-line
diagram is shown in Fig. 35. With the electrical data and the
shaft parameters described in [19], modal frequencies can be
calculated as shown in Table I. From the eigenvalue analysis
results of the simulated power system, Mode 1 is the unstable
mode [19].
IP
22 kV/500 kV
R=0.0002 X=0.020
R0=0.0186
R1=0.0067
R0=0.022
R1=0.0074
X0=0.210
X1=0.0739
X0=0.240
X1=0.0800
HP
Bus C
R1=R0=0.0014
X1=X0=0.030
Bus 0
Infinite Bus
Fig. 35. IEEE second benchmark model on SSR [19].
A three-phase fault was initiated on the high-voltage side
of the transformer and then cleared. Fig. 36 shows the torque
generated between two sets of points on the generator shafts
(the generator shaft segment between the generator and the
low-pressure turbine, and the segment between the highpressure turbine and low-pressure turbine) and the velocity of
the masses after the disturbance for a three-phase fault with a
clearing time of 0.0167 s. Note that a temporary fault lasting
for 0.0167 s was simulated in this study to show the torque
amplification problem caused by SSR. In reality, fault
clearing time will be longer than 0.0167 s.
5
4
3
2
1
0
–1
–3
HN‡
–4
–5
Mode
fN
λN†
1
24.65 Hz
0.05 rad/s
1.55 pu
2
32.39 Hz
0.05 rad/s
9.39 pu
3
51.10 Hz
0.05 rad/s
74.80 pu
λN is the calculated damping factor of each mode.
‡
HN is the inertia in modal domain.
GEN
–2
TABLE I
MODAL QUANTITIES
†
Gen #1
(Study Generator)
Torque (pu)
A. Challenges for SSR Detection
Even though real-world SSR events are rare, their
consequences are very severe. Over the years, various SSR
detection relays have been developed as the last defense for
generators that can experience an SSR condition. For
generators located in areas where SSR has a low probability
of occurrence, an SSR relay is usually the only protection
against an SSR condition [19]. Most of these relays use
electrical input signals such as terminal voltages and currents.
Challenges of designing a practical SSR relay include low
amplitude of sustained or growing subsynchronous-frequency
currents, low-frequency range, rapid response time requirement to reduce damage, high-amplitude fault currents, and
the requirements to not false trip.
EXC
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
Time (s)
Fig. 36. Shaft torque response for a three-phase fault with a fault clearing
time of 0.0167 s.
14
Voltages (kV)
Currents (kA)
Speed (rad/s)
Fig. 36 shows the torque amplification phenomenon. The
peak torque between the generator and low-pressure turbine
is at approximately 4.02 pu. Fig. 37 shows the generator
terminal current and voltage signals and the speed signals of
the four masses.
10
EXC
GEN
0
HP
LP
–100
0
0.05
0.05
0.1
0.1
0.15
0.15
0.2
0.2
0.25
0.25
0.3
0.3
0.35
0.35
0.4
0.4
0.45
0.45
50
A
B
0
–50
0
0
C
0.05
0.05
0.1
0.1
0.15
0.15
0.2
0.2
0.25
0.25
0.3
0.3
0.35
0.35
0.4
0.4
0.45
0.45
400
B
C
0.05
0.1
0.15
0.2
0.25
0.3
0.35
0.4
0.45
0.5
Time (s)
Fig. 37. Generator terminal current and voltage signals and the speed
signals of the four masses.
Voltages (kV)
Currents (kA)
Speed (rad/s)
From the speed signals, we see that the exciter, generator,
and the high-pressure turbine have different velocity
deviations, which result in the abnormally high torques on the
shafts. We used a Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) to
analyze the frequency components of the above signals.
Fig. 38 shows the result for the high-pressure turbine speed,
the A-phase terminal current, and the A-phase terminal
voltage. It must be noted that, in reality, the speed signals
may not be available at all of the turbines. The speed of the
turbines is usually measured by transducers mounted adjacent
to the toothed wheel on the machine shaft. When compared
using simulation data, these signals have more limited
resolution and quality compared with terminal measurements.
5
0
X: 25.04
Y: 5.311
0
20
2
40
60
80
100
120
60
80
100
120
80
100
120
X: 35.31
Y: 1.034
1
0
0
20
40
X: 60.0
Y: 286.7
200
0
0
20
40
60
VIII. CONCLUSIONS
0.5
0.5
A
0
–400
0
0.5
0.5
terminal current, while the signal is much less noticeable in
the voltage. Since the subsynchronous range current signals
are present together with the fundamental frequency signals,
it is challenging to separate these signals rapidly and
accurately. Generator speed is the most direct way to detect
SSR. Under normal operation, the shafts will rotate at a
synchronous speed. With the SSR excited, the shaft will
oscillate at the unstable mode on top of the synchronous
speed. It is relatively easy to extract the subsynchronousfrequency component from the speed signal and therefore
facilitates identifying SSR faster and more accurately. For
this reason, it is advisable to install a speed transducer on the
generator shaft.
Frequency (Hz)
Fig. 38. DFT results for high-pressure turbine, A-phase terminal current,
and A-phase terminal voltage.
From the above results, we observe a noticeable
subsynchronous-frequency range component in the generator
This paper has shown that by making use of additional
generator measurements, such as field current and voltage,
and applying the appropriate filtering, these measurements
can be used to complement traditional voltage and current
measurements, resulting in better generator protection. These
additional measurements can be used to monitor the generator
more effectively. Therefore, by adding these measurements to
our generator protection and monitoring scheme, we
effectively increase the level of observability of the generator,
which in turn allows us to operate our generator for longer
periods of time more economically and efficiently.
IX. REFERENCES
[1]
IEEE Standards Dictionary. Available: http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/
xpls/dictionary.jsp.
[2] IEEE C37.102-2006, IEEE Guide for AC Generator Protection.
[3] IEEE Standard 67-2005, IEEE Guide for Operation and Maintenance of
Turbine Generators.
[4] C. J. Mozina, et al., “Coordination of Generator Protection with
Generator Excitation Control and Generator Capability,” Working
Group J-5 of the Rotating Machinery Subcommittee, Power System
Relay Committee,” Power Engineering Society General Meeting, 2007.
IEEE, Tampa, FL, 2007, pp. 1–17.
[5] D. Riemert, Protective Relaying for Power Generation Systems. CRC
Press, December 2005.
[6] NERC Standard PRC-019-2 – Coordination of Generating Unit or Plant
Capabilities, Voltage Regulating Controls, and Protection. Available:
http://www.nerc.com.
[7] W. B. Boym, R. W. Ferguson, and J. G. Partlow, “Methods of Starting
Gas-Turbine-Generator Units,” Transactions of the AIEE, Vol. 73,
Issue 1, January 1954.
[8] Working Group J-2 of the Rotating Machinery Subcommittee,
“Protection Considerations for Combustion Gas Turbine Static
Starting,” IEEE Power System Relaying Committee. Available:
http://pes-psrc.org/Reports/J2_ProtectionConsiderationsforCGTStatic
Starting%20Final2.pdf.
[9] D. Finney, N. Fischer, and D. Taylor, “How to Determine the
Effectiveness of Generator Differential Protection,” proceedings of the
40th Annual Western Protective Relay Conference, Spokane, WA,
October 2013.
[10] B. Kasztenny, N. Fischer, and H. J. Altuve, “Negative-Sequence
Differential Protection–Principles, Sensitivity, and Security,
proceedings of the 41st Annual Western Protection Conference,
Spokane, WA, October 2014.
[11] J. Mraz, J. Pomeranz, and J. D. Law, “Limits of Sensitivity for
Detecting Inter-turn Faults in an Energized Power Transformer,”
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proceedings of the 34th Annual Western Protective Relay Conference,
Spokane, WA, October 2007.
N. Fischer, G. Benmouyal, S. Samineni, “Tutorial on the Impact of the
Synchronous Generator Model on Protection Studies,” proceedings of
the 35th Annual Western Protective Relay Conference, Spokane, WA,
October 2008.
NASPI Technical Report, “Diagnosing Equipment Health and
Misoperations With PMU Data,” March 20, 2015. Available:
https://www.naspi.org/File.aspx?fileID=1417.
Working Group 10 of the Electric Machinery Committee, “IEEE Guide
for Online Monitoring of Large Synchronous Generators,” IEEE Power
and Energy Society, 2014. Available: https://standards.ieee.org/
findstds/standard/1129-2014.html.
C. J. Mozina, “Implementing NERC Guidelines for Coordinating
Generator and Transmission Protection,” proceedings of the 65th
Annual Conference for Protective Relay Engineers, College Station,
TX, April 2012, pp. 491–504.
J. C. Agee, S. Patterson, J. Seitz, “Excitation System Testing and
Model Validation,” Power Engineering Society 1999 Winter Meeting,
IEEE, New York, NY, 1999, pp. 177–181 Vol. 1.
W. Gu, “Commissioning Generator AVR, PSS and Model Validation,”
IEEE 28th Canadian Conference on Electrical and Computer
Engineering, Halifax, NS, 2015, pp. 669–673.
P. M. Anderson, B. L. Agrawal, J. E. Van Ness, Subsynchronous
Resonance in Power Systems, IEEE Power Engineering Society, New
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“Second Benchmark Model for Computer Simulation of
Subsynchronous Resonance,” IEEE Transactions on Power Apparatus
and Systems, Vol. PAS-104, No. 5, pp. 1057–1066, May 1985.
research interests include power electronics and drives, power system
protection, synchrophasor-based control applications, and power system
stability. He is a registered professional engineer in the state of Washington
and a senior member of IEEE.
Yu Xia received his BS from the University of Science and Technology of
China, Hefei, Anhui, China in 2008 and his PhD from the University of
Idaho in 2013. He joined Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc. in 2011
and holds the position of power engineer in the research and development
division. He is pursuing an MBA degree from the Stern School of Business
at the New York University. He is a member of the IEEE Power & Energy
Society.
X. BIOGRAPHIES
Terry Foxcroft has worked in the power industry for over 36 years. He has
worked in the protection, commissioning, testing, and design fields for over
30 years. He has presented papers at many national and international
conferences. Terry is also a member of the Australian CIGRE B5 Committee.
Terry is responsible for protection design at Snowy Hydro.
Normann Fischer received a Higher Diploma in Technology, with honors,
from Technikon Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1988; a
BSEE, with honors, from the University of Cape Town in 1993; an MSEE
from the University of Idaho in 2005; and a PhD from the University of
Idaho in 2014. He joined Eskom as a protection technician in 1984 and was a
senior design engineer in the Eskom protection design department for three
years. He then joined IST Energy as a senior design engineer in 1996. In
1999, Normann joined Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc., where he
is currently a fellow engineer in the research and development division. He
was a registered professional engineer in South Africa and a member of the
South African Institute of Electrical Engineers. He is currently a senior
member of IEEE and a member of the American Society for Engineering
Education (ASEE).
Dale Finney received his bachelor of engineering degree from Lakehead
University and his master of engineering degree from the University of
Toronto. He began his career with Ontario Hydro, where he worked as a
protection and control engineer. Currently, Mr. Finney is employed as a
senior power engineer with Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc. His
areas of interest include generator protection, line protection, and substation
automation. Mr. Finney holds several patents and has authored more than 20
papers in the area of power system protection. He is a member of the main
committee and the rotating machinery subcommittee of the IEEE PSRC. He
is a senior member of the IEEE and a registered professional engineer in the
province of Nova Scotia.
Satish Samineni received his bachelor of engineering degree in electrical
and electronics engineering from Andhra University, Visakhapatnam, India,
in 2000. He received his master’s degree in electrical engineering from the
University of Idaho in 2003. Since 2003, he has been with Schweitzer
Engineering Laboratories, Inc. in Pullman, Washington, where he is a senior
power engineer in the research and development division. He has authored or
coauthored several technical papers and holds a United States patent. His
Previously presented at the 2017 Texas A&M
Conference for Protective Relay Engineers.
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20170130 • TP6765-01